Service-learning in microbiology during the pandemic: A Malaysian perspective

Aims@#During the Covid-19 pandemic, adaptation, flexibility and creativity is paramount in conducting Service-Learning courses. The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a hybrid mode service-learning in Microbiology course conducted over a semester which involved undergraduate students being strewn all over the country, with highly diversified conditions varying from local movement control laws and availability of facilities such as internet access.@*Methodology and results@#A cohort of undergraduate students conducted the course from the comfort of their own homes to teach underprivileged school students. The undergraduate students engaged school students in the proximity of their location, then conducted STEM activities over the course of a few weeks either via face-to-face, online or hybrid mode. Microbiology activities included microscopy using a Foldscope (paper microscope), isolation and growth of microbes, preparation of microbe-related food and others. Surveys were conducted with school students pre- and postprogramme, parents and the undergraduate students conducting the programme. While the school students benefitted from highly engaging STEM modules, the undergraduate students underwent a steep learning curve, mentoring school students in STEM whilst juggling challenges presented by the pandemic but finally achieved all learning outcomes.@*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#Service-learning for life sciences subjects can be conducted efficiently during a pandemic when flexibility and freedom is given to students to achieve the learning outcomes.

Endogenous HMGB1 Modulates Fatty Acid Metabolism of Hypoxic and Nutrient-poor Pancreatic Cancer Cells and Related Mechanism / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the role and mechanism of HMGB1 in the fatty acid metabolism reprogramming and mitochondrial fusion/fission of hypoxic and nutrient-poor pancreatic cancer cells. Methods The correlation between the expression level of HMGB1 in pancreatic cancer tissue and the survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients were analyzed by GEPIA database. CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell proliferation rate, and scratch test and Transwell chamber method were carried out to detect the effects of endogenous HMGB1 on the invasion and migration abilities of human pancreatic cancer cell line Patu8988 after hypoxic and nutrient-poor treatment. Laser confocal microscope was used to observe the changes of mitochondrial morphology of Patu8988 cells. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of mitochondrial fusion/fission and de novo fatty acid synthesis-related proteins. Results GEPIA database analysis results showed that HMGB1 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues (P < 0.01), and the expression level was negatively correlated with the survival time of pancreatic cancer patients (P=0.00097). Knockdown of HMGB1 expression could inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration abilities of Patu8988 cells under hypoxic and nutrient-poor conditions. However, mitochondrial fission in patu8988 cells was increased. Knockdown of HMGB1 in Patu8988 cells increased the expression of fission-related protein FIS1 while decreased the expression of p-DRP1(Ser637) and fusion-related protein MFN1 and MFN2 in hypoxic and nutrient-poor environment; ACLY, p-ACLY and FASN protein expression levels were down-regulated. Conclusion Endogenous HMGB1 can promote the fusion and inhibit the fission of mitochondria in hypoxic and nutrient-poor Patu8988 cells, maintain mitochondrial morphology and function, and thereby up-regulate ACLY protein expression and phosphorylation level, promote FA synthesis, and maintain the proliferation, invasion and migration abilities of pancreatic cancer cells.

In vivo and in vitro inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry quantification of minerals and heavy metals in Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill and their effect on intestinal flora / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Cerebral ischemia or ischemic stroke is due to insufficient blood supply to the brain, which causes hypoxia or ischemia in some areas. This work aimed to quantify the minerals and heavy metals in Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill in vivo and in vitro, analyze its effect on the types and abundance of intestinal flora, and study its mechanism on inflammation and apoptosis pathways as a treatment for cerebral ischemia. METHODS Microwave digestion and induc?tively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to determine the minerals and heavy metals in 10 batches of Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill in vitro. With the use of the middle cerebral artery obstruction (MCAO) model, ICP-MS was applied to determine the content of minerals and heavy metals in hepatic portal vein blood, abdominal aortic blood, brain, liver, kidney, hair, urine and feces at different time periods. On this model, the ileum, cecum, and colon tissues were tested for intestinal pathology, and 16S rRNA was used for sequencing. Species taxonomy, α diversity, and spe?cies microbial composition and structure analysis were also performed. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were employed to determine the mRNA and protein expression of p38 MAPK, caspase-3, IL-1β and TNF-α in the isch?emic brain tissues of rats. RESULTS The average content of heavy metals in the 10 batches of Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill samples is in the descending order Hg>Cu>Pb. Significant differences in the metal elements are found among Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill from different manufacturers but not among the different batches of the same manufacturer. An extremely low content of heavy metals are absorbed into the blood or accumulated in the brain, liver, kidney, and other tissues. Stool is the main excretion route of minerals and heavy metals from Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill. This medicine helps repair the intestinal mucosa in MCAO rats. At the phylum level, it can regulate the abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in the intestinal flora of rats with cerebral ischemia. At the genus level, it can adjust the abundance of Escherichia Shigella. At the species level, it can adjust the abundance of Lactobacillus yoelii and Lactobacillus reuteri. Cluster classification results show that Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill can improve the intestinal flora of rats with cerebral ischemia, reduce the mRNA and protein expression of caspase-3 and IL-1βin rat brain tissues, and have a tendency to decrease the mRNA expres?sion of p38 MAPK and TNF-α. CONCLUSION Quantifying the minerals and heavy metals in Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill in vivo and in vitro will help improve their quality standards. Minerals and heavy metals are mainly excreted in feces, accumu?late in extremely low levels in various tissues, and do not damage the intestinal mucosa. The effective material basis of Qishiwei Zhenzhu pill in treating cerebral ischemia may be related to their Li, Cr, and Cd elements. These pills can improve the environment of intestinal flora, and their mechanism of treatment for cerebral ischemia may be related to the down-regulation of IL-1βinflammatory factor and inhibition of cell apoptosis.

Effect of Ranae Oviductus on Follicular Development Based on PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of Ranae Oviductus (RO) on ovarian follicular development， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway， and pregnancy function in rats, and the estrogen-like mechanism of OR. Method:Seventy female Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group， a progynova+ luteohormone group (1 mg·kg^-1+40 mg·kg^-1), a clomiphene group (10 mg·kg^-1), and high-dose(400 mg·kg^-1) and low-dose(200 mg·kg^-1) RO groups. Rats were administered correspondingly by gavage for eight weeks. After seven weeks of intragastric administration, the estrus cycle of all rats was measured. After eight weeks of intragastric administration， four rats from each group were selected to give birth. For other rats, blood was collected on the day of estrus， and the serum levels of estradiol (E₂)，progesterone (P)， testosterone (T)， follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)， and luteotropic hormone (LH) were detected. Uterus and ovaries were extracted and weighed to calculate organ index. One ovary was made into pathological sections, and the follicles at different developmental stages and corpus luteum were counted. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）and Western blot were performed on the other ovary to detect mRNA and protein changes in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Forty female Kunming mice were randomly divided into a normal group and RO groups (400 mg·kg^-1) with 14 days， 28 days， and 56 days of intervention. Mice in the RO groups were raised with male mice in cages after intragastric administration of OR for 14， 28， and 56 days， respectively. After 18 days, the number of intrauterine fetuses on both sides and the number of stunted fetuses were counted. Result:After eight weeks of intragastric administration of OR， the rats showed decreased uterine index (<italic>P</italic><0.05)， declining serum LH (<italic>P</italic><0.05)， reduced luteum (<italic>P</italic><0.01)， dwindled primary follicles (<italic>P</italic><0.05)， and increased rate of follicle atresia (<italic>P</italic><0.01). Additionally， more luteal or interstitial glands degenerated into interstitial structures in the ovarian cortex in a short time. The mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt in the ovary were elevated (<italic>P</italic><0.01)， while the mRNA expression levels of mTOR and PTEN were reduced (<italic>P</italic><0.01). The phosphorylation level of Akt protein showed a downward trend without significant difference. For the rats， the number of fetuses was decreased (<italic>P</italic><0.05). The pregnancy rate of mice was decreased to varying degrees after administration of RO for different durations， with the lowest in the 14 day RO group， as low as 30%. After 28 days of intragastric administration of RO， the difference in left and right uterine pregnancy increased (<italic>P</italic><0.05). Conclusion:Long-term administration of RO can lead to premature ovarian failure by over-stimulating the ovary， which is similar to clomiphene. Short-term administration can result in decreased pregnancy rate， excessive ovulation on one side， and inhibition of ovulation on the other side. The influence on follicles needs further exploration.

Screening and Verification of Compatibility Proportion of Effective Components from Traditional Chinese Medicine of Diabetes / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To screen the best compatibility proportion of total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma and Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma total saponins (HS composition)by uniform design and pharmacological model and to observe the effect on diabetic complications. Method: The total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma and Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma total saponins were used as the research objects, U6(62) table was choosed for grouping design.The content of triglyceride fasting blood-glucose (FBG), prothrombin time (PT) and active partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was chosen as index. The best dose ratio was obtained by multipleregression analysis. Rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus induced by high-fat diet combined streptozotocin were divided into blank group, model group, metformin group (150 mg·kg-1), HS composition group (total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma 360 mg·kg-1+ Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma total saponins 40 mg·kg-1). Rats were administered orally for 10 weeks.By observing the blood glucose, glucose tolerance,area under the curve (AUC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C)and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), hemorheological indexes and pathological changes of pancreas, heart, kidney and retina in rats of each group, the effect of this composition on diabetic complications was verified. Result: Combination of 625 mg·kg-1 total alkaloids of Coptidis Rhizoma and 60 mg·kg-1 Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma total saponins was the optimal dosage ratio of HS composition.The validation test showed that compared with blank group, the fasting blood glucose and lipid levels in the model group were significantly increased (PPPPPPPPPPPConclusion: The optimum compatibility dose of HS composition have a good therapeutic effect on diabetic complication rats induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin.

HIF-1α@Fe3O4 labeled pancreatic cancer PANC1 cells under hypoxia and its MRI detection / 中华胰腺病杂志

Objective To explore the feasibility of novel nano-particle HIF-1 α@Fe3 O4 labeled pancreatic cancer PANC1 cells as well as the changes of signal intensity in 3.0T MRI scan.Methods Pancreatic cancer PANC1 cells were cultured in hypoxia condition,and hypoxia-inducible-factor-1 α(HIF-1 α) and stem cell markers CD133,Oct-4,Sox-2 were detected by Western blot assay.Cells cultured under hypoxia for 24 h were collected and then co-incubated with 5,15 and 45 μg/ml HIF-1α@Fe3O4 for 24 h.The number of HIF-1 α@Fe3O4 labeled PANC1 cells and cell survival rate were detected,and the signal intensity of T2 WI image for PANC1 cells was measured by a 3.0T MRI system.Results In hypoxia condition,HIF-1 α level was obviously increased compared with that of normoxic culture,which was further increased with the increase of hypoxia time(all P ＜ 0.05).Stem-cell markers CD133,Oct-4 and Sox-2 was positively correlated with HIF-1α level.Co-cultured with different concentrations of HIF-1α@Fe3O4 for 24 h,blue-stained iron particles in cytoplasm of PANC1 cells was dosage-dependently increased,and the peak was at the concentration of 45 μg/ml,which could reach 100％.The survival rate of the PANC1 cells cultured in normoxic condition,the unlabeled and labeled in hypoxic condition group were(87.0 ± 2.1) ％,(84.7 ± 2.7) ％ and (85 ± 3.8) ％,respectively,and the difference was not statistically significant (P ＞ 0.05).In 3.0T MRI scan,T2 WI signal intensity in unlabeled group and 5,15 and 45 μg/ml labeled group was 1.017 ± 0.046,0.793 ± 0.041,0.447 ± 0.032 and 0.240 ± 0.031,and the difference was not statistically significant (F =80.0,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Hypoxia condition could promote and maintain the stemness in PANC1 cells.HIF-1α@Fe3O4 probe could successfully label HIF-1α highly expressed PANC1 cells during hypoxia condition,and a significant decrease in T2WI signal intensity can be detected by a 3.0T MRI system.

In vitro study of safety and co-efficiency of the transbronchial coagulation techniques / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The usual transbronchial coagulation techniques include microwave, argon plasma coagulation (APC), electrocautery and cryotherapy. However, there are serious clinical problems in the safety of each. By analyzing the experimental data and clinical observations, we observed the variable effects of different coagulation techniques via bronchofibroscopy, to look for an optimal interventional management of luminal bronchus diseases, and evaluate the safety and the equivalent point.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Four kinds of coagulation techniques under bronchoscopy were performed on the fresh bronchus of healthy sheep, and the pathologic changes in all groups were observed under the microscope. The different treatment parameters were as follows: microwave 60 W×1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds and 40 W×1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds; APC 40 W×1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds; electrocautery 40 W×1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds; cryotherapy 100 Ω×60 seconds, 120 seconds.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, ovine bronchial mucosa in all groups showed pathologic changes such as local necrosis and amotio of the mucosa lining epithelium, local submucosa coagulative necrosis or tissue defects, while inflammation in the surrounding tissue was not obvious. Under the same output power and action time, different methods had different outcomes. The damage by APC was the most superficial, microwave was the second, and electrocautery caused the worst damage. The study also found that effects of electrocautery at 40 W×3 seconds, microwave at 40 W×5 seconds or 60 W×3 seconds, APC at 40 W×5 seconds and cryotherapy at 100 Ω×120 seconds were the equivalent point conditions. The appearance included mucosa absence, partial submucosa absence, and collagen fiber coagulation in treatment areas.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Each coagulation technique has its own characteristic. It is very important to choose the appropriate power and action time of the suitable method according to the therapy requirement.</p>

Microwave induces apoptosis in A549 human lung carcinoma cell line / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Microwaves have other biological effects on cancer as well besides killing tumor cells by coagulation. Some studies showed that microwaves may induce apoptosis in some tumor cells. The apoptotic effect of microwaves may help in clinic to remove residual malignant cells nearby the primary lesion and avoid relapse subsequently. However, there is little evidence on this subject from lung cancer. We studied the effect of microwaves on inducing apoptosis in the human lung carcinoma cell line A549 cells, aiming to identify its effect on apoptosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A549 cells were radiated by various intensities and durations of microwaves. Apoptosis induction in A549 cells was analyzed by morphological observations, tetrazolium blue color method (MTT) assays, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and image analyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Morphological changes in A549 cells, including cell shrinking and nuclear pyknosis, were observed after microwave radiation. Microwaves significantly inhibited metabolic activities and induced apoptosis in A549 cells. The results of the MTT assay showed a significant decrease of cell activities in all the radiation groups compared with the normal control (P < 0.01). The low point of cell activities often appeared at 6 - 12 hours after radiation. Apoptosis was also confirmed by flow cytometry. The early stage apoptotic rate reached 6.10% - 17.98% and the advanced stage apoptotic rate + necrosis rate reached 8.04% - 44.06% at 6 hours after microwave irradiation, in contrast to 2.32% and 4.10% in the respective control groups. Down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression and up-regulation of p53 expression were observed by immunohistochemistry after radiation. In most treated groups, the down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression reached its lowest level at 3 - 6 hours after radiation (integrated optical density (IOD)-6 hours: 2.13 ± 0.08 - 5.14 ± 0.13 vs. control: 5.79 ± 0.10, P < 0.01) and the up-regulation of P53 expression peaked at about 3 hours (IOD-3 hours: 2.61 ± 0.13 - 8.07 ± 0.11 vs. control: 1.29 ± 0.07, P < 0.01). Cell damage, apoptosis, and protein expression levels in the samples differed depending on the radiation intensity and duration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Microwaves can promote apoptosis in A549 cells. The effect depends on the duration and dosage of microwave radiation. Bcl-2 and p53 proteins may be involved in the apoptotic process of A549 cells induced by microwaves.</p>

Establishment of rat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease model: A comparison between exposure to cigarette smoke alone and in combination with intra-tracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To compare the efficacies of exposure to cigarette smoke alone and in combination with intra-tracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide in establishing rat models of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A total of 24 8-week-old healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 model groups and a control group (Group C). The rat COPD models were established by two ways; intratracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) twice + exposure to cigarette smoke for 1 month (Group A), and cigarette smoke inhalation for 80 days only (Group B). The pathologic characteristics of animal models, including the mean lining interval (MLI) and the mean alveoli number(MAN), were determined. The total and different white blood cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and blood samples were determined. Results The rats in the two model groups presented with cough or breathlessness periodically, and the white blood cell counts and neutrophil counts in the peripheral blood and BALF were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). H-E staining showed that the lung tissues of rats in Group A and B had typical pathological features of COPD and emphysema. MLI were significantly higher and MAN were significantly lower in Group A and B than those in group C (both P<0.01), but there was no statistical difference between the two model groups. Group A had more severe inflammatory response in the bronchial and lung tissues than Group B. And Group B was characterized by alveolar overdistension. Conclusion Both the two methods can successfully establish rat COPD model, with its pathophysiological changes similar to those of human COPD, with intra-tracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide being more consistent to the natural development of disease.

Prognostic value of early treatment response in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a single institution experience in Shanghai, China / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Early response to therapy is one of the most important prognostic factors in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of morphological assessment of bone marrow blasts during remission induction and determination of minimal residual disease (MRD) after remission induction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 1998 to May 2003, 193 children with newly diagnosed ALL were enrolled on the ALL-XH-99 protocol. Blast cell count in the bone marrow was examined on day 19 of remission induction and by the completion of remission induction. MRD was measured with the flow cytometry. Event-free survival (EFS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the distributions of EFS were compared using the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify independent prognostic factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 4-year EFS was significantly worse in patients with > or = 5% lymphoblasts in the bone marrow on day 19 as compared to those with <5% lymphoblasts on that date (42.59%+/- 14.28% vs 74.24%+/- 6.67%; p< 0.01). The 4-year EFS was significantly worse in patients with any amount of lymphoblasts in the bone marrow on the remission date as compared to that of other patients with no morphologically identifiable blasts (63.47%+/-9.23% vs 76.41%+/- 6.09%; p<0.05). The patients with MRD <0.01 had significantly better outcome than those with a level > or = 0.01% (15-month EFS:94.44%+/-5.40% vs 23.81%+/- 20.26%; p<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Early treatment response as assessed by morphological examination or minimal residual leukemia determination by flow cytometry has important prognostic significance, and can be performed in a resource-poor patient population.</p>

The effect of angiotensin-(1-7) on the mRNA expression of PDGF and TGF-beta1 in the kidney of diabetic rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To study the effect of angiotensin-(1-7) on the kidney of diabetic rats by observing the mRNA expression of PDGF and TGF-beta1.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SD rats were divided into three groups: Group C (uni-nephrectomy control group), Group D (diabetic model control group), Group T (Ang-(1-7) treated group). We evaluated blood glucose,urea nitrogen, creatinine and urine albumin excretion respectively, studied the renal morphology by light microscope, and detected the gene expression of PDGF, TGF-beta1 in renal tissue by RT-PCR technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was significant difference between the group D and T about the RW/BW, renal morphology, the total urine protein and the mRNA expression of PDGF and TGF-beta1.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ang-(1-7) can relieve the renal process of diabetic rats.</p>

Prognostic value of minimal residual disease in childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the prognostic value of minimal residual disease (MRD) in childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) after induction chemotherapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From September 2001 to October 2004, 102 patients with newly diagnosed B-ALL were enrolled in protocol ALL-XH-99. MRD after induction therapy, before high-dose methotrexate and early intensification as well as at 1 year and 2 year maintenance therapy was detected by multiparameter-flow-cytometry (MP-FCM).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The probability of 39-month event-free survival (EFS) for patients with a level of MRD < 10(-4), was significantly higher than for those with a higher MRD [(83.00 +/- 9.90)% vs 0.00%, P < 0.01]. (2) Univariate analysis indicated that the MRD level at achieving complete remission (CR) had no relationship with the biologic features at presentation (gender, age, white blood cells and cytogenetic abnormalities), but did with Philadelphia chromosome, the time reaching CR, ALL-XH-99 risk group and lymphoblasts in bone marrow on day 19 after induction therapy (P < 0.05). (3) Multivariate analysis suggested that MRD level after the first induction course was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 5.381; 95% CI 0.004 to 0.624; P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The MRD level at achieving CR is one of important prognostic factor in the treatment of childhood B-cell ALL, and might be used to assess the early treatment response.</p>

Prognostic value of both detection of lymphoblasts in the period of early treatment and minimal residual disease in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the prognostic value of both morphological persistent disease on day 19, on complete remission (CR) and minimal residual disease (MRD) in the bone marrow (BM) after multiagent remission induction therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 1998 to May 2003, 193 patients with newly diagnosed ALL were enrolled on protocol of ALL-XH-99. BM blast counts on day 19 and on CR after induction therapy were examined. BM MRD at the end of induction therapy was detected by MP-FCM.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The probability of 5-year event-free survival (pEFS) was significantly worse for patients with > or = 0.050 BM lymphoblasts on day 19 than that with < 0.050 BM lymphoblasts [(42.59 +/- 14.28)% vs (74.24 +/- 6.67)%, P < 0.001]. (2) The 5-year pEFS was significantly worse for patients with a low percentage of lymphoblasts (< 0.050) in BM on CR as compared to those with no morphological persistent lymphoblasts [(63.47 +/- 9.23)% vs (76.41 +/- 6.09)%, P < 0.05]. (3) No significant difference was found in BM lymphoblasts between patients with MRD (> or = 10(-4) of nucleated bone marrow cells) and those without MRD (< 10(-4)) at the end of induction therapy (P > 0.05). The 22-month pEFS was significantly worse for patients with MRD as compared with those without MRD on CR [(23.81 +/- 20.26)% vs (94.44 +/- 5.40)%, P = 0.001].</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>BM lymphoblast > or = 0.050 on day 19 after induction therapy is an independent prognostic factor for childhood ALL; low percentage of lymphoblasts and minimal residual disease in BM on remission also do it. Patients with > or = 0.050 lymphoblast in BM on day 19 or with MRD > or = 10(-4) at the end of induction therapy should receive altered and more intensive chemotherapy.</p>

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Collection in Pediatric Donors with Malignancies and Its Significance on Hemato-poietic Recovery of Recipients / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective Data on the leukapheresis from 26 pediatric patients with hematologic or solid malignancies was retrospectively evaluated to screen predictive factors affecting the efficacy of peripheral blood stem cell(PBSC) collection from donors,as well as hematopoietic recovery in recipients.Methods We present our experience with 49 apheresis from 26 granulocyte-colory Stimulating factor mobilized donors and analyzed the correlations between the mobilization,the leukocyte count in the donor peripheral blood and the MNC and CD_(34)~+ cell yields in collecting products and the neutrophil and platelet recovery of recipients.Results The process of mobilization and apheresis were well tolerated by our pediatric donors.The median numbers for harvested MNCs and CD_(34)~+ cells were 4.5?10~8/kg and 1.9?10~6/kg of recipient body weight,respectively.Mobilizing dose positively affected the number of mononuclear ceus(MNC) but not CD_(34)~+ cells in the apheresis products.The CD_(34)~+ cell number in the apheresis product was influenced significantly by donor circulating MNC on the day of harvest and correlated with recipient′s engraftment after PBSC was reinfused.Conclusions The MNC yield was stable and met with the demand for autologous stem cell transplantation while the CD_(34)~+ cell number varies obviously from each donor.Since a rapid engraftment was associated with a high number of CD_(34)~+ cells collected,which was in turn predicted by the level of the pre-apheresis CD_(34)~+ cells in the peripheral blood of donors,it is necessary to monitor the donors′ CD_(34)~+ cell during mobilization to determine the optimal time for apheresis.J Appl Clin Pediatr,2006,21(3):148-150